CALDO VERDE RECIPES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons olive oil for 3 minutes. Stir in potatoes and cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes more. Pour in water, bring to a boil, and let boil gently for 20 minutes, until potatoes are mushy.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-low heat, cook sausage until it has released most of its fat, 10 minutes. Drain.
• Mash potatoes or puree the potato mixture with a blender or food processor. Stir the sausage, salt and pepper into the soup and return to medium heat. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.
• Just before serving, stir kale into soup and simmer, 5 minutes, until kale is tender and jade green. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and serve at once.

Steps:

• Gently fry the onions and garlic in the olive oil until softened and translucent.
• Chop the chorizo into small chunks and add to the pan with the onion.
• Fry the onions and sausage for a few more minutes and then add the diced potatoes. They will absorb all the flavour from the sausage.
• Transfer the mixture to a large pan, add the stock, seasoning and bay leaves, and cook until the potatoes are soft.
• Meanwhile, very finely chop the cabbage (alternatively, buy a cabbage-shredding machine from the market as we did).
• When the potatoes are ready, mash them into the broth to make a thick base. Blanch the greens in boiling water for one minute to take off any bitterness, drain, then add to the simmering broth.
• Add as much cabbage as the broth will support - if you want heavy soup add loads of greens, if lighter, add less.
• Simmer for a few minutes. The soup will go the colour of jade.
• Mix the smoked paprika with some olive oil to make a dressing, and swirl this red magic into the vibrant green soup. Serve with some rustic country bread.